Shelf edging and associated display structures



March 14, 1967 H. s. PEACOCK 3,308,963

SHELF EDGING AND ASSOCIATED DISPLAY STRUCTURES Filed May 12, 1965 I? pl9 FIGI 2;

I 27 1 I2 22 I l IO INVENTbR: HENRY S. PEACOCK B ATT'YS United States Patent 3,308,963 SHELF EDGTNG AND ASSOCIATED DHSPLAY STRUKITURES Henry Satford Peacock, Lincoln, ill, assignor to Myers Industries, Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 12, 1%5, Scr. No. 455,069 9 Claims. (Cl. 21l-134) This invention in general relates to edging and channels for shelves, counters, and the like and to associated display structures such as shelves or counters adapted for use in displaying articles of merchandise and the like. More particularly, the invention pertains to channels and/ or edging with an upwardly-opening slot defined by elongated, transversely corrugated side walls and to articleretaining structures employed in association with said edging and/or channels on shelves, display counters, and like horizontal display panels.

The article-retaining structures may extend substantially along an edge, e.g., the front edge, of the shelf, counter, etc., or along opposite edges thereof. An example of an article-retaining structure is a vertical wall or panel, such as glass, or a wire rod structure, each known as a shelf front, or a counter front. Their purpose is to keep articles from falling off the front edge of a shelf, counter, etc.

The article retaining structures also may be dividers extending longitudinally or transversely across the shelf or counter or even diagonally across from front edge to rear edge, dividing the shelf or counter into compartments or bins for display purposes and/or, if necessary, providing retaining members at either end of the shelf or counter. These dividers may be panels, e.g., glass, or wire rod structures.

A given shelf or counter embodying the improvements in edging and/ or channels of this invention may be arranged to have only a removable shelf front or counter front, only one or more, removable dividers, or both a removable front and removable dividers, as desired.

Briefly, the preferred edging and channels are striplike elements fixedly attached to a shelf or counter, or other display panel, either along an edge thereof or recessed in a surface thereof. In many cases, edging is attached along both opposite, longitudinal edges. The edging and the channels have an upwardly facing slot, the side Walls of which are undulated by corrugations or the like at relatively close intervals to provide longitudinally and relatively closely spaced sockets or receptors for bases of vertical rods or posts of hardware used to make fronts and/or dividers. The sockets or receptors are provided by arranging the opposing concave and convex surfaces of the undulating side walls of the groove directly and respectively opposite eachother so that opposing pairs of concave faces form opposing, but spaced portions of a socket or receptor having a sufficient mating relationship with the vertical rod or post to support vertically said rod or post. Viewed in top plan, the undulations of the side Walls define a slot alternatingly widening and narrowing at oppositely disposed concave and convex portions, respectively, of the side walls.

It is an object of the invention to provide slotted channels and/ or edging strips for edges of display shelves and the like, characterized by a pair of spaced, transversely corrugated, elongated Walls defining the side walls of an elongated slot opening in an upward direction whereby the oppositely-disposed, concave faces of undulations of said corrugated side walls form a series of spaced, side-by-side, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like.

Another object is to provide shelf edging having a laterally-opening slot adapted to receive the edge portion of a shelf or other display panel and, laterally adjacent thereto, transversely corrugated, elongated walls of the type aforementioned providing an elongated slot with side walls defining a series of spaced, side-by-side, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like.

Still another object is to provide channels 'and/ or edging of the aforementioned structure as a rollaformed metal strip shaped to provide said slots.

A further object is to provide display structure combinations of a horizontal, article-support panel with channels and/or edging of the aforementioned character, said edging embodying said sockets in a portion of said edging projecting beyond the edge of the panel and said channels embodying sockets recessed in the article-supporting surface.

Another object is to provide said last-mentioned combinations in further combination with support posts of hardware clips of shelf front panels and/or shelf divider panels mounted in said sockets,

Still another object is to provide wire rod shelf front and/ or shelf dividers having posts mounted in the aforementioned sockets of shelf edging and/or channels on horizontal display panels.

These, as well as other objects, advantages and purposes of the generic invention herein disclosed or suggested to those skilled in the art, may be accomplished in the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a rolled-formed, shelf edging strip mounted on the edge portion of a shelf or other article-supporting panel, shown in fragment;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective, fragmentary view of a display shelf with a wire rod shelf front on each longitudinal edge and wire rod dividers dividing the shelf into compartments or bins;

FIG. 4 is a similar perspective view showing glass panel fronts and dividers mounted on the shelf by clips; and

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of a fragment of a shelf or counter with a channel mounted in the upper surface thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the edging strip of FIGS. 1 and 2 is mounted on at least one longitudinal edge 11 of a shelf 19 or other horizontal, article-supporting panel, e.g., a counter top. The illustrated edging is a rollformed, metal strip 12 shaped into an elongated, outer, vertical wall 13; an elongated, bottom wall 14 having an elongated, upturned lip 15 securely seated in a longitudinal groove 16 in the undersurface of shelf 10; and an elongated upper wall composed of elongated wall portions 17 and 19 separated by an upwardly opening, elongated slot 1-3 and downturned, elongated lip 20 securely seated in a longitudinal groove 21 in the upper surface of shelf 14). The space between bottom wall 14 and upper Wall portion 19 defines a laterally-opening, elongated slot which receives the longitudinal edge portion of shelf 10.

After the latter is inserted .in said elongated slot with Walls 14 and 19 spread sufiiciently to permit the insertion, they are pressed toward one another until lips and 20 are securely seated in grooves 16 and 21, respectively, thereby securely mounting the edging 112 on the shelf. Grooves 16 and 21 may be pre-cut, or, in cases of shelves made from soft woods or like soft compositions, they may be formed as the result -of pressing lips 15 and 29 into the soft wood or the like.

The upwardly facing slot 18 is defined by spaced, transversely corrugated, elongated, side walls 22 and 23 joinedat the upper edges thereof with upper wall portions 17 and 19, respectively. The lower edges of the walls 22 and 23 are connected by an elongated, bottom wall 24.

The transverse corrugations in walls 22 and 23 are arranged to provide alternating concave and convex undulations 26 and 27 defining a series of oppositely disposed concave faces 29 and 30 separated by oppositely disposed convex segments or ribs 31. Each oppositely disposed pair of concave faces 29 and 3d defines a vertical socket 28 adapted to receive and removably support a substantially cylindrical base of a rod or post. Thus, there is provided in the upper surface of edging 12 a line of closely spaced sockets of substantially constant dimension, each adapted to receive and support a substantially cylindrical rod or post as desired.

Referring to FIGS, the shelf or panel 10 is provided with the aforedescribed edging 12 along both longitudinal edges. In some instances, the edging 12 will be mounted only on thefront, longitudinal edge of the shelf or panel 10, e.g., when the shelf or panel is intended to be used with only a shelf front. The shelf fronts, for illustration purposes, are shown on both of the front and rear edges ofthe shelves or panels 10 in both FIGS. 3 and 4.

The shelf fronts 36 and dividers 42 and 49 of FIG. 3 are made from wire rods. Fronts 36 comprise a pair of spaced, horizontal, substantially parallel wire rods 37 and 38, and inverted U-shaped wire rod units 39, wherein the vertical legs thereof are attached to the rods 37 and 38 at spaced intervals. These wire rod structures retain articles of merchandise or the like against falling off the shelf.

A plurality of vertical, cylindrical, wire rod posts 40 are also attached to rods '37and 38 at predetermined spacings so that the base portions 41 fit into respective sockets 38 in the shelf edging 12, thereby removably supporting shelffronts 36 on the respective edgings 12.

Two types of wire rod shelf dividers 42 and 49 are illustrated in FIG. 3. When cross dividers are used, the shelf or panel 10 preferably has. edgings 12 on both front and rear longitudinal edges to facilitate changing the positions of thedividers as merchandising display needs require. This is true even if the rear edge of the shelf or panel abuts a vertical backing panel or wall-the latter, of course, eliminating the need for a shelf front on the rear edge.

Dividers 42 each have a longer. rear, vertical, cylindrical leg 43 and shorter front, vertical, cylindrical leg 45, the bases 44 of which are removably held in sockets 28 of edgings 12. The dividers 42 are continuous wire rods bent to form, in addition to rear and front legs 43 and 45, a series of vertical legs 46 which are progressively shorter from rear to front. Contiguous, vertical legs are connected alternately by upper, horizontal, cross legs 47 and lower, horizontal, cross legs 48.

Dividers -49 are similar continuous wire rods but have uniform height. They have vertical, cylindrical, rear legs 50 and vertical, cylindrical, front legs 51 with respective bases 52 and 53 removably mounted in sockets 28 of edgings 12. The wire rods-of dividers 49 are .bentto provide a series of equal length, vertical legs 54, which together withlegs 4i) and 51 are connect-ed alternately by upper, horizontal, cross legs 56 and lower, horizontal, cross legs 57. Dividers 42 or 49'1nay also be used at the respective ends of shelf or panel iii, if needed. They divide the upper surface thereof into a plurality of compartments or bins such as bins 0r compartments 5S and 59 of the desired sizes, which sizes can be changed easily by shifting or removing the dividers.

Referring to FIG. 4, the shelf 1t and edgings 12 are like those of FIG. 3. The shelf fronts are vertical panels such as glass panels 66 and 60'. Vertical, glass panels 61 are mounted across the ends of shelf 10 While vertical, glass divider panel 62 is mounted across the shelf to divide it into bins or compartments 63 and 54.

The hardware for mounting said panels constitutes, as a basic unit, a metal, U-shaped clip 66 defining a laterally opening, vertically extending slot '66:; which receives the vertical edge of the panel. Corner clips 67 are made by spot welding or otherwise attaching together at right angles to each other two clips like clips 66 to provide as the corner clip unit a clip 69 for panels 60 and 60 and a clip 68 for the cross panels 61. Clip 68 has its back attached to the inner side of clip 69. Clip-mounting, cylindrical posts 72 removably fit into the desired socket 28. For the corner clips, post 72 is attached to the clip inwardly of clip '69, e.g., by attaching it to the innerside of clip 68, so that clips 69 and panels 60 and 6!) mounted therein lie outwardly of the slot 18 in edging 12.. This allows cross-divider panel-mounting clips 70 to be mounted by posts 73in sockets 28. Posts 73 are attached to clips 7 0 near the rear edge thereof so that the rear edge of clip '70, when the clip is mounted, clears the inner sides of panels 69. i

Splicer clips 71 comprise'two clips 66 attached to-- gether back-toback with a post '74 mounted on the inner side thereof whereby the back-toaback clips 66 lie outside grooves 18 of edgings 12- for the aforementioned reasons. Clips 71 splice together the shelf front panels 60 and 64).

Referring to FIG. 5,-there is shown an embodiment of the aforedescribed channels. Such channels usually extend longitudinally of the shelf, counter, etc., to pro-' vide a longitudinal line of spaced, sockets or receptors for posts. of hardware of the same general character as previously described, whereby the shelf, counter, etc., may be further sub-divided, if desired, into smaller bins or compartments. They may, however, extend transversely or even diagonally across the shelf, counter, etc., if desired. Also, such channels could be located slightly inwardly of a longitudinal edge or edges of a shelf or counter, and could providethe functions of edging strip 12 in certain situations where an edging strip is not practical or is not wanted.

The shell for counter 10 is provided with an upwardly facing slot 89 in its upper surface for each channel 81. The channel 81, of generally U-shape in cross section, is a roll-formed, metal strip shaped into a pair of opposing, elongated, corrugated walls 82 and 83qconnected along their lower edges by the elongated, bottom, horizontal wall 84. These walls form the upwardly-facing slot 85, in which the transverse corrugations in walls 82 and 83 are arranged to provide alternately convex and concave undulations defining a series of oppositely dis-' posed, concave faces separated by oppositely disposed, convex segments or ribs. Each oppositely disposed pair of concave faces defines a vertical socket, like the previously described sockets 28 adapted to receive and removably support a substantially cylindrical base of a rod or post. Viewed in top plan, the slot 85 has the same appearance as slot 18 in FIG. 2 If desired, the upper edges of walls 82 and 83 may have elongated, horizontal, outwardly-directed lips or flanges 8e and 87 adapted to lie against the upper surface of shelf 10 along opposite, longitudinal edges of slot 80.=

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and his obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arr'angement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the forms herein disclosed being preferred embodiments for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. Edging for display shelves and the like comprising an elongated strip, means on said strip for securing said strip along the edge of a shelf or the like, a pair of spaced, transversely corrugated, elongated walls defining the side walls of an elongated slot opening in an upward direction when said strip is mounted along said edge, an elongated, bottom wall integrally formed with the lower edges of said side walls to form the bottom wall of said slot and the concave faces of the undulations of said corrugated, side walls being oppositely disposed and forming a series of spaced, side-by-side, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like.

2. Edging for display shelves and the like comprising interconnected wall means embodying (a) an elongated upper wall and elongated lower wall substantially parallel to and spaced from each other, said walls forming therebetween a laterally-opening, elongated slot adapted to receive an edge portion of a shelf or the like, and (b) a pair of spaced, transversely corrugated, elongated walls substantially at right angles to said upper and lower walls, said spaced, corrugated walls forming the side walls of an elongated, upwardly opening slot in said upper wall, said side walls being laterally adjacent to the base of said laterally opening slot, and the undulations of said corrugated, side walls forming by oppositelydisposed, concave portions of said undulations a series of spaced, side-by-side, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like.

3. Edging for display shelves and the like comprising an elongated metal strip which is roll-formed into an elongated bottom wall and an elongated top wall spaced from and substantially parallel with said bottom wall, an elongated, side wall connecting the outer, longitudinal edges of said upper and lower walls, the portions of said upper and lower walls laterally opposite said side wall defining an elongated slot opening laterally outwardly away from said side wall and adapted to receive the edge of a shelf or the like, said upper wall having formed therein a pair of depending, corrugated side walls defining therebetween an elongated, upwardly opening slot, and the respective undulations of said corrugated side walls forming by oppositely-disposed concave portions a series of spaced, side-'by-side, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like.

4. A display structure comprising a horizontal panel serving as a support for the display of articles, an edge portion of said panel having mounted thereon an elongated, edging strip having a portion projecting laterally beyond said edge of said panel, a pair of spaced, corrugated walls having their concave portions oppositely an elongated, upwardly opening slot extending along said edge of said panel, the undulations of said corrugated walls having their concave portions oppositely disposed and thereby defining a series of spaced, side-by-side, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like, and an elongated bottom wall integrally formed with the lower edges of said side Walls to form the bottom wall of said slot.

5. A display structure comprising a horizontal panel serving as a support for the display of articles, an edge portion of said panel having mounted thereon an elongated, edging strip having a portion projecting laterally beyond said edge of said panel, a pair of spaced, corrugated, vertical walls in said portion, said walls defining an elongated, upwardly opening slot extending along said edge of said panel, the undulations of said corrugated walls having their concave portions oppositely disposed and thereby defining a series of spaced, side-byside, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like, and an elongated bottom wall integrally formed with the lower edges of said side walls to form the bottom wall of said slot, a wire shelf front extending along said edge for retaining articles displayed on said panel, a plurality of vertical rods on said shelf front, and the bases of said rods being held in corresponding sockets of said slot.

6. A display structure comprising a horizontal panel serving as a support for the display of articles, an edge portion of said panel having mounted thereon an elongated, edging strip having a portion projecting laterally beyond said edge of said panel, a pair of spaced, corrugated, vertical walls in said portion, said walls defining an elongated, upwardly opening slot extending along said edge of said panel, the undulations of said curru'gated walls having their concave portions oppositely disposed and thereby defining a series of spaced, side byside, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like, and an elongated bottom wall intergrally formed with the lower edges of said side walls to form the bottom wall of said slot, sheet-holding clips at spaced intervals along said edge, a vertical post on each clip, the respective posts being inserted in respective sockets of said slots, and elongated, vertical sheets held by said clips to provide article-retaining members on the upper surface of said panel.

7. A display structure comprising a horizontal panel serving as a support for the display of articles, an edge portion of said panel having mounted thereon an elongated, edging strip having a portion projecting laterally beyond said edge of said panel, a pair of spaced, corrugated, vertical walls in said portion, said walls defining an elongated, upwardly opening slot extending along said edge of said panel, the undulations of said corrugated walls having their concave portions oppositely disposed and thereby defining a series of spaced, side-by-side, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to be mounted on said shelf or the like, and an elongated bottom wall integrally formed with the lower edges of said side walls to form the bottom wall of said slot, a wire rod shelf front embodying a plurality of spaced, horizontal wire rods, inverted-U-shaped wire rod units having vertical legs crossing one side of said horizontal rods and being attached to said horizontal rods at spaced intervals, and vertical rod members crossing said side of said horizontal wire rods and attached thereto, the bases of said rod members being inserted in respective sockets in said slot and supporting said shelf front.

8. A channel adapted to be mounted in an elongated slot in the upper surface of a display shelf, counter or the like comprising a pair of spaced, transversely corrugated, elongated walls defining the side walls of an elongated slot opening in an upward direction when said channel is mounted in said slot and the oppositely-disposed concave faces of the undulations of said corrugated, side walls forming a series of spaced, side-byside, upwardly opening sockets adapted to receive posts of hardware members to he mounted on said shelf or the like.

9. A display structure comprising a horizontal panel serving as a support for the display of articles, the upper surface of said panel having an elongated slot the-rein, an

elongated channel of gene-rally U-shape, transverse cross section mounted in said slot with its elongated, open side facing upwardly, the vertical sides of said channel being transversely corrugated with oppositely disposed, concavev faces of the undulations of said corrugated, side walls forming a series of spaced, side-by-side, upwardly open- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1942 Sliger 312-1403 11/1950 Walker 312-140 o MacAleese 312-140.3 MacAleese 312140.3 Radek 21 1-153 Higgins 211-40 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. EDGING FOR DISPLAY SHELVES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STRIP, MEANS ON SAID STRIP FOR SECURING SAID STRIP ALONG THE EDGE OF A SHELF OR THE LIKE, A PAIR OF SPACED, TRANSVERSELY CORRUGATED, ELONGATED WALLS DEFINING THE SIDE WALLS OF AN ELONGATED SLOT OPENING IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION WHEN SAID STRIP IS MOUNTED ALONG SAID EDGE, AN ELONGATED, BOTTOM WALL INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS TO FORM THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID SLOT AND THE CONCAVE FACES OF THE UNDULATIONS OF SAID CORRUGATED, SIDE WALLS BEING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED AND FORMING A SERIES OF SPACED, SIDE-BY-SIDE, UPWARDLY OPENING SOCKETS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE POSTS OF HARDWARE MEMBERS TO BE MOUNTED ON SAID SHELF OR THE LIKE. 